Notre Dame (25-0-0) plays Stanford (22-1-1) at 4:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2, ESPNU) in the first semifinal, which is followed by North Carolina (23-1-2) against UCLA (22-0-2) at 7 p.m (ESPNU). Soccer America Senior Editor Ridge Mahoney previews the four semifinalists.

IRISH EYES THIRD TITLE. Center Lauren Fowlkes is manning the middle for the USA in Chile, yet Notre Dame comes into the final four on a run of three straight shutouts, albeit by 1-0, 1-0 (overtime) and 2-0 scores.

Senior Kerri Hanks, the 2006 Hermann Trophy winner, is about to wrap up a prolific collegiate career. Hanks (19 goals) also leads the team in assists with 15, and Melissa Henderson (17 goals) is just one of several alternate threats.

CARDINAL RETURNS. Only once, in 1993, has Stanford reached this stage of the tournament, but in September of last year, it handed the Irish a 2-1 overtime defeat.

Kelley O'Hara started the Stanford comeback in that match by scoring the equalizer, and this season, she's one of three players to hit double digits in goals. Christian Press notched her 16th of the season to down Portland, 1-0, in the quarterfinals last Saturday to match Lindsay Taylor as the team leader. O'Hara has scored 13 goals and is tops in assists with 12.

Stanford has allowed only seven goals and with 71 scored hasn't lacked for production. Its only loss this season is a 1-0 road loss to UCLA on Halloween; its only tie came at home against UNC in September.

"I am very excited about getting to the College Cup, but our job isn't done yet," said coach Paul Radcliffe, who is in his sixth season at Stanford. "We want to win the national title."

Stanford might have had representation on the U.S. under-20s playing this week for the world championship in Chile, but O'Hara -- along with Tar Heel Casey Nogueira -- were among the pool players who didn't make the final cut, and freshmen stars Teresa Noyola and Taylor declined the opportunity. New Zealand national team left back Ali Riley and central defender Allison Falk anchor a back line.

BRUIN POWER. UCLA has only one U-20 absentee, but Sydney Leroux is the tournament's top scorer with five goals, assuming the goal she's credited with in the 1-0 semifinal win against Germany Thursday isn't changed to an own goal.

Yet Leroux, a freshman who previously represented Canada, netted only five times for UCLA before leaving for Chile. U.S. national team striker Lauren Cheney came back from the 2008 Olympics in time to score 11 goals, second on the team behind Kristina Larsen (13), who scored off a scramble two weeks ago as the Bruins downed archrival and defending national champ USC, 1-0, in the second round. Canadian international Kara Lang adds a lot of experience in pressure situations.

The only blemishes on the Bruins' record are 0-0 ties with Brown and Santa Clara; and since that stalemate with the Broncos, UCLA has reeled off 15 straight victories, including that 6-1 demolition of Duke.

"I hate to say it, but the playoffs is where this team kind of digs it out," says coach Jillian Ellis. "Big games get them fired up. They enjoy the atmosphere."

With only five goals conceded and 19 shutouts, UCLA's defense may be its strong suit. It is limiting opponents to just under eight shots per game.

"Our defense has been stellar," says Ellis. "I don't get too much into the statistics, but we're athletic and we're organized and experienced back there. [Goalkeeper] Ashley Thompson has just been a surprise, a redshirt [senior] who hadn't played that much and she's done well when she needed to."

TAR HEEL TIME? North Carolina is missing U-20s Nikki Washington and Meghan Klingenberg, which deprives it of some speed on the right side of midfield and on the left flank. They also each compiled nine assists before heading to Chile.

UNC may hold a slight edge in athletic bloodlines. Casey Nogueira, whose father Victor starred in the nets for numerous indoor and outdoor professional teams, has punished opposing defenses to the tune of 23 goals. Courtney Jones - the daughter of former San Francisco 49ers Pro Bowl tight end Brent Jones - has scored 13. Brittani Bartok (4 goals, 7 assists) is the granddaughter of near-legendary Seton Hall coach Manfred Schellscheidt.

JC transfer Jessica MacDonald (another U-20 pool player) leads the team with 10 assists, yet six other players - including Nogueira and 2008 U.S. Olympian Tobin Heath - have registered at least eight.